Ziemupe
A total of 201 bird species have been observed along the route.
Getting there:
The route is located 40 km east of Liepāja. At the Vērgale turnoff from the P111 highway, turn left and drive 10 km to the center of Ziemupe. Distance from Liepāja: 40 km; from Ventspils: 100 km.
Parking:
Cars can be conveniently parked in the "Ziemupītes" campsite parking lot (fee: 2 euros), in the center of Ziemupe near the cultural center, or in suitable roadside spots, in accordance with traffic regulations.
Distance and Duration:
The route is 5 km long. The hike takes about 3–4 hours on foot, or approximately 2 hours by bicycle.
Special Notes:
None.
Signage and Facilities:
Available in the center of Ziemupe and at the "Ziemupītes" campsite.
Public Transport:
https://www.1188.lv/satiksme
Nearby Routes:
"Akmensrags", "Saraiķi", "Vērgale".
Season:
A good route for birdwatching year-round. The best time for night hikes is from April to July, when one can observe species like the tawny owl, long-eared owl, marsh warbler, nightingale, and corncrake.
Mode of Travel:
Best explored on foot or by bicycle.
A total of 201 bird species have been observed along the route.
- Ziemupe Center:
- Coastal Bluff near Kapupe River Mouth:
- Area Around Ziemupe Church and the Old Rocket Base:
Bird List of Dienvidkurzeme_for print
Goldcrest
Europe’s smallest bird. Olive-green back and a pale grey belly. The wings are darker greenish grey and the flight feathers have white outer edges and primary coverts – white tips that form a distinctive pattern. A lighter ring is seen around the eye, gradually changing to the main colour. There are two black stripes with a bright yellow stripe between them on the head.
Habitat – forests of various types, rarely also parks and other green areas with spruce trees, as well as in autumn or winter – pine forests. They spend most of their time in the branches of spruce trees. They usually sing in the top part of spruce trees, while squatting or moving. Stay in flocks when migrating. In winter, they roam in small flocks and groups, often together with tits.
They feed on small insects, which they also catch in the air. They build a nest with an entrance from above in long, thick spruce branches, usually in the middle part of the tree and slightly away from the trunk. Semi-migratory, they roam in winter.
(Latvijas meža putni. 2. izdevums. Rīga: LOB, 2002. (Birds of Latvian Forests. 2nd Edition. Riga: Latvian Ornithological Society, 2002))
Common Cuckoo
A slender bird the size of a pigeon. The male has a dark blue-grey back and light-grey belly with grey cross-stripes, and a dark grey tail with light spots. In nature, females have two colour forms: grey, which is only slightly more brownish than the male, and brown, which is rusty brown. It sings both when squatting and while flying.
Habitat – forests, shrubs, cemeteries, parks, and gardens. In the second half of summer, it is often seen squatting on fence posts, low bushes and in similar places. It mainly feeds on hairy butterfly caterpillars that are not eaten by other birds.
They do not build nests but lay their eggs in the nests of various small birds. Cuckoo chicks hatch earlier and throw the eggs (or chicks) of their hosts out of the nest. A migratory bird that winters in tropical Africa.
(Latvijas meža putni. 2. izdevums. Rīga: LOB, 2002. (Birds of Latvian Forests. 2nd Edition. Riga: Latvian Ornithological Society, 2002))
Smaller than a barn swallow. Brown back, white belly, with a brown band over the breast. Shallow split of the tail and blackish-brown wings with a slight olive tinge or greenish sheen. The legs are dark and hairless. The flight is swift, but more gliding and less manoeuvrable than that of a swallow.
Habitat – open landscape. They nest in steep banks, river bank outcrops and various quarries. They usually forage in the immediate vicinity of colonies. Most insects are caught in the air while some are picked up from the ground or water’s surface.
This is a colonial species. They breed in self-excavated caves in coastal rock slides, sandstone outcrops or even piles of sand and soil (including peat). The nest is built at the end of the cave, in the nest chamber, and is made of grass stems and leaves, which are lined with feathers. During the post-breeding season, up to 1,000 birds gather in flocks and roost in reedbeds.
A migratory bird that winters in sub-Saharan Africa.
(Latvijas ūdeņu putni. Rīga: LOB, 1999. (Birds of Latvian waters. Riga: Latvian Ornithological Society, 1999))
Eurasian Treecreeper
The birds are smaller than sparrows. They are slender birds with a slightly sickle-shaped bill. Their back is dark brown, more mottled than striped. The upper surface of the tail is lightly rusty, which contrasts strongly with the rest of the back. The head is darker, the forehead is distinctly striped, the eyebrow stripe is white, and the bill – relatively short. The abdomen and inferior surface of the tail are white or whitish. The toenail on the hind toe is relatively long (longer than the toe).
Habitat – all types of forests (including pine forest), less frequently also parks, gardens, cemeteries, farm plantations, and avenues. They usually forage by spiralling along the trunk of a tree from bottom to top, then moving to the next tree in its root area, and so on. The birds mainly feed on insects and spiders that live on the bark of the tree. The nest is usually built in crevices behind dead bark, in half-cavities and similar places. Rarely in birdcages.
A resident species, but some of them migrate. Infestations have been observed in certain years.
(Latvijas meža putni. 2. izdevums. Rīga: LOB, 2002. (Birds of Latvian Forests. 2nd Edition. Riga: Latvian Ornithological Society, 2002))